Welcome to The Sloane Letters Project
A pilot of this project, Sir Hans Sloane’s Correspondence Online, was first launched at the University of Saskatchewan in 2010 to coincide with the 350th anniversary of Sir Hans Sloane’s birth. The project was renamed The Sloane Letters Project when it moved to this site in 2016.
The correspondence of Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753) consists of thirty-eight volumes held at the British Library, London: MSS 4036-4069, 4075-4078. The letters are a rich source of information about topics such as scientific discourse, collections of antiquities, curiosities and books, patients’ illnesses, medical treatments and family history. Most of the letters were addressed to Sloane, but a few volumes were addressed to others (MSS 4063-4067) or written by Sloane (MSS 4068-4069).
So far, we have entered descriptions and metadata for Sloane MSS 4036-4053 and 4075, as well as several letters from each of the following: Sloane MSS 4054-4055, 4066, 4068-4069 and 4076. Several of these entries also include transcriptions. Further entries and transcriptions are being made available gradually.
Please, explore the website and database. You can search through the letters, learn about Sir Hans Sloane or the letters written to him, and peruse blog posts about interesting letters!
Random Letter
Author:Recipient:
[fol. 297]
Sr Upmr Feb: 21 1708/9
I have lately recd Dr Newtons Answer from Flo-
rence wch I have send you, wherein tou will find his
willingness to accept the Societies favr of being chosen into their
Number. And by the speediness of his Ansr to that past
of my Lr, & his passing over other material matters
I have sent about, I imagine that the sooner the favour
can be done, the more acceptable it will be.
The Papers which he mentions as sent wth his Lr,
I shall bring to you when I can get next to London;
which I intend as soon as I can.
You will find by the enclosed, That in Italy the
cold hath this winter been very intense, as well as
in England. If by Twelf-Day his excellencie means
our Jan: 6th my Thermometer was then very low. But
if he means Jan: 6 N.S (as probably he doth) I find the
Italian Cold preceded ours 2 or 3 days. For the days before Jan 6: N.S
were warm, yt day it began to freeze; the two next days
were sharper frost, wth snow: but the Night after the fol-
lowing day, viz the Night between Dec: 29 & 30 O.S my Themr
was much lower than ever it was since I began my
Observations therewith in ye year 1698. Ans as his Excellence
saith they wanted but half a Degree of the extremity in Italy
on Dec: 26 (as I imagine their Twelf-Day was) so at 7 of clock in
the morning of Dec: 30 my Thermometer descended with-
in to of an inch of the very point to wch I formerly (for a tryal) forced my
Spirits down with artificial Freezing wth Snow & Salt. I have been informed
yt your Thermr in Town have this winter been lower than in the Great Frost,
altho not on the same day yt mine was. The reason of wch I conceive to be
either from the different temperature of your City, & our Countrey air: or
rather from the different Freezing within & without doors; my Thermomr
being allways kept without doors, in the open air; & your Glasses in London
yt I have had any informations from, being kept within doors.
Speaking of Artificial Freezing, give me leave to suggest one curiosity
about it, & that is That after you have made the Spirits contract as much
as is possible wth snow and salt, you may force them yet lower, & that
somewhat considerably, by pouring upon your Frigorifick Mixture Spir.
of Wine. I know other have observed yt snow & So: V will together freeze;
but I do not know whether they have observed yt it will encrease the strength
of Snow & Salt, or whether it will do more wth Snow or Ice than Salt can,
Now the cold goeth off, & gives a relaxation to my Fingers & Ink, I being to think
Of drawing up a Table of Dr Scheuchzers, Dr Tillies & my own Observations for the
Socities Use, being highly obliged to be ever Their &
Your most humble servant
Wm Derham
Read more- Letter 1427
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